Sooner or later, we’re all pestered by pests. Whether it’s ants in the kitchen or weeds in the vegetable garden, pests can be annoying and bothersome. At the same time, many of us are concerned that the pesticides we use to control pests can cause problems too.

Plants, insects, mold, mildew, rodents, bacteria, and other organisms are a natural part of the environment. They can benefit people in many ways. But they can also be pests. Apartments and houses are often hosts to common pests such as cockroaches, fleas, termites, ants, mice, rats, mold, or mildew. Weeds, hornworms, aphids, and grubs can be a nuisance outdoors when they get into your lawn, flowers, yard, vegetable garden, or fruit and shade trees. Pests can also be a health hazard to you, your family, and your pets. It’s easy to understand why you may need and want to control them.

Nowadays, you can choose from many different methods as you plan your strategy for controlling pests. Sometimes a non-chemical method of control is as effective and convenient as a chemical alternative. For many pests, total elimination is almost impossible, but it is possible to control them. Knowing your options is the key to pest control. Methods available to you include pest prevention, non-chemical pest controls, and chemical pesticides.

The most effective pest management strategy for controlling pests may be to combine methods in an approach known as integrated pest management (IPM) that emphasizes preventing pest damage. In IPM, information about pests and available pest control methods is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

It’s easier to prevent pests than to control them. You may not need to worry about the four pest control steps just mentioned IF you make the effort to prevent pests in the first place.

You’ve got pests, and you want to control them with a dependable pest control method that does not contain chemical
pesticides. Non-chemical pest control methods really work, and they have many advantages. Compared to chemical treatments, non-chemical methods are generally effective for longer periods of time. They are less likely to create hardy pest populations that develop the ability to resist pesticides. And many non-chemical pest controls can be used with fewer safeguards, because they are generally thought to pose virtually no hazards to human health or
the environment. Two examples of non-chemical pest control methods are biological and manual treatments. Learn more about us.